Sorry I missed last month's post! We moved in mid September, but still don't have internet just yet, so it's a little painful to be online with just my cell connection right now :)

Overall, the move went well. We are still waiting on a few light fixtures to come in (kitchen pendants and main level hallway lights), but those should be here soon. The unpacking is moving along, but the boys' activities have kept us pretty busy so hopefully we'll be settled in completely after another couple weeks.

I am hoping we are about a month away from moving in. We finally got the electricity turned on, we had been using my generator for the whole build. It's nice to be able to work past dark now and be able to see what you're doing.

Andi_K
Wow, wow, wow, and wow!!
I knew your house was going to be gorgeous and it is. Congratulations.
I just love it - everything is so well thought out and you picked out such nice finishing touches. Since I just finished picking out mirrors (I'm done!) I can really appreciate the thought that went into all those decisions.
What I like best about your house is that as gorgeous as it is, I think it looks like it wants to be lived in - I know I could live in your house and be happy.
Enjoy!
(trying not to be nosy and ask for the background between you and Verizon, when we move, we'll be lucky to get cell phone reception : )

momo7 - thank you so much! It was definitely a process, but I had tons of great help! And, I saw your comments re: the cherry cabs on another post...they look absolutely beautiful! I love unstained cherry! Looking forward to seeing more pics :)

Andi K - love your blog! Do you have building details somewhere? I love the color in your master bedroom - the soft sage green. I've been looking for a good sage green & that's what I had in mind. Thanks! :)

melaska - Thanks! re: your question on building details - do you mean the floor plans? That's posted on the blog in April. For everything else, I have them in one place or another :) Most in a huge spreadsheet, others on my builder's selection web page! The master bedroom color is SW Svelte Sage...we did the ceiling/angled walls in a couple shades lighter - SW Nonchalant White.

pbx2 - thanks! The floors are one of my favorites - no doubt! They are reclaimed oak beam sawn floors from Appalachian Woods in Stuarts Draft, VA. And, actually, not nearly as expensive when compared to other hardwood flooring.

Lots going on: sheetrocking, finishing roof. Hope to have rainwater collection tank erected toward the end of the month, then the adventure of connecting it all up begins. Wouldn't you know it's rained quite a bit lately, and us with no tank. Still aiming for Christmas.

minneapolisite, Yes it is Mountain Sage on the lap siding and Sail Cloth on the trim!

We have had a painful experience getting the installers to finish our job. First, they realized we hadn't ordered enough for the soffits so we ordered more. It took almost two weeks to get the material (don't ask, multiple issues there). Once we get the material it takes a week for those guys to come back. They work sporadically for a week and leave again. AHHHHHH!! I just want it done now because the inside is nearing completion and the outside looks like a mess still. Just frustraed!

As for the color Mountain Sage, it is beautiful in person. We have a lot of trees in the lot and it just blends in, but has a very classic craftsman touch.

Moving along at a snail's pace here. Just starting our 6th week framing and I am soooooo ready to move forward! We've had some bad weather holding things up and are hoping to be done framing by this Friday. My tubs and showers were delivered today and the plumber is scheduled to be out Thursday to run water lines. Have had no major complaints until today - seems like I had the 1st string framing crew working until it was time to finish the roof and now the 4th string is getting their chance to play. Meeting with builder in the morning to address some concerns. Here's where we are now - it's hard to take a good pic with all the trees in the front yard!

Building a house single-handed sure is a slow process! Those of you with toddlers will be sending them off to college by the time I finish this house.

The good news is that I am done with my contractor. He has been great, but my job is very small, so I did a lot of waiting for him to squeeze me in between bigger jobs.

The main floor walls are up, the garage and porch slabs are poured, and this last Thursday, we placed the roof trusses, with the help of a couple of friends and a hired crane. I can't wait to get the roof done and spend the rest of my time on Terra Firma!

here is some progress photos. My wife and I are doing a lot of the work on this ourselves.
Finished getting the Form-a-drain in place, since the photos its been leveled and rebar installed, pour concrete this week.

This photos is the ICF forms I took delivery of. They are vertical forms, not the typical stacked block. The foam is delivered next week.

G- I am the architect (actual profession), GC, and builder. The only parts I am not doing is the install of the electrical (can not per code), plumbing (hate it), HVAC (again, code, plus Energy Star 3.0 requires certification), drywall (hate this too!) and probably some concrete flatwork.

We received 2 semi trucks of foam today. We should be pouring footings on friday and starting to set the forms this weekend possibly. I need to bring in 8 dump trucks of rock first however and spread it on the basement floor. That will take a while...

Stucco is finished. Granite went in. Tile work in the master bath is finished. Brick arch is finished. Built ins are finished - ready to be primed and painted.

Painters are working at the house this week. And I use the word "working" loosely - (we're not happy). Were hoping to move in the second weekend of November - they need to speed it up! Electrical / plumbing / HVAC start middle of next week (fingers crossed)
Stucco:
Kitchen with backsplash in:
Close up of backsplash:
Mudroom built:

Sorry everyone for the multiple copies of the same picture -- I guess I didn't pay enough attention when it asks you to proof your post!!

@kfhl - Thanks!! I was working part-time as a cabinet salesperson / kitchen designer (until I had my baby two months ago) so I had spent a LOT of time planning out the kitchen! And yes, we spent a lot of time planning the built-ins as well.

Well, we are a few weeks away from staking and permiting. We are getting extremely excited, it feels like its been forever since we started planning. We are located in Ohio and will be building in Johnstown which is about 20 minutes outside of Columbus. They started clearing out some of the woods and the dead trees. Hoping to get started with actual construction end of November beginning of December. Here is a picture of our lot- its 4 acres! Can't wait to be as far along as many of you and your homes are all so BEAUTIFUL!!!

SAND92107 - We will be starting our build within the next few weeks and looking at your kitchen and breakfast nook area it appears that we have a similar layout to yours. Does your breakfast nook open up into the family room?

Our well was dug yesterday, and since we have enough yield to make us happy, we picked up the building permit today! This is a pic of our site - behind the soybean field. I will post more pics when some ground starts moving on our site.

aucorley - I am looking forward to seeing pics of your kitchen with the granite. My layout is similar and I am doing the same colors as you, just grey on island and stain on perimeter. Please post as soon as it happens. :)

Granite pics (although poor quality photo from my phone).
Upstairs Jack-n-Jill
Kitchen look out to the back (poorly lit)
Kitchen from LR (Colonial Dream)
Laundry (Uba Tuba)
Master vanities
And a few of the outside still in need of touch up painting
Dining room chandelier installed

Whallyden- I live on your blog...literally. It helps me visualize and to gauge our building milestones. Your blog is one of the best building ones I have seen. btw I LOVE YOUR KITCHEN! Your design choices are simply gorgeous.

mfowler423-- The floors are from Lumber Liquidators, 3/4 inch hand scraped engineered hard woods called Tabacco Road. I have had several people ask me if they are Hickory but they aren't, I believe the wood is Acacia wood. I LOVE the variations in color where I can have any style go with it. And you can't tell really in pics, but they are covered in dust and they still looks great! So BONUS, they will appear cleaner than I'm sure they will actually be, LOL!!

Whallyden, I love you blog too! You house has a very classic craftsman meets modern feel that I love! I know you are running crazy here at the end of the build, but we love the updates!

aucorley -- You say your flooring if from lumber liquidators. Did you have any problems with them? I have heard so many horror stories about them that it has made me think twice about even looking at their products. I love the look of your floors and that is similar to what we want to do but not sure about the retailer???